Alan and Marie: Chapter 2
After their trepidations earlier in the week, the two plan to meet again, against both their better judgments.
Chapter 2: August
She was floating. Never before had kissing left her so weightless. She could feel the tingle on her lips long after she arrived home. Her parents looked at her quizzically when she walked in the door. Her mother asked, "What took so long? William called and said Lindsay had been home for over an hour. And she lives thirty minutes away." Marie silently cursed William’s younger sister for being in band with her. Damn it Lindsay! I don’t need your help making your brother not trust me. She looked at her mom and replied coolly, "Oh, Lynn, Renee and I hung out for a little while after the assembly. We got talked into organizing the instrument room."
Her father chimed in then. "Well, get to bed. You know you have school tomorrow." Marie trudged down the hallway to her room. She called William as soon as she changed into her pajamas.
"Hi, sweetie."
"Hi, William. Sorry I missed you earlier. I had to stay late with Renee and help organize the instrument room."
William sighed. "Is that why Lindsay said she saw you talking to Alan after the assembly?"
Marie felt her brow narrow. "He had to stay, too. We needed at least one guy to lift the bigger instruments. What’s wrong with you?"
Even as she said it Marie knew what was wrong. Alan was a guy that she talked to other than William. He was always scared she was going to leave him for someone else, and his insecurities angered her to no end.
Listen to you, you hypocrite. He has every reason to wonder what you were doing tonight.
"I’ve just gotten a vibe since we’ve, you know, that you don’t want to be with me any more."
"Don’t be ridiculous, Will. Besides, he and Lynn are going out now. Look, can’t we talk about this tomorrow? I’m really sleepy. And I have to be at school at seven. You don’t have class until nine."
"Yeah," William said with a heavy sigh. "We’ll just talk about it tomorrow. I’m sorry."
"It’s okay. I love you."
"I love you too, Marie."
She hung up the phone and was angry for several moments. She really did care about William, but she found him to be far too emotional. Even little things like her not being home when he expected would throw him into a pity party. It wasn’t fun to be with him anymore. If she thought she could find someone else who cared about her as much as him she would quickly leave him.
I wish Alan wasn’t going out with Lynn!
The next few days at school were somewhat awkward. Alan was in several of her classes, but he didn’t speak to her. Marie found herself wondering if he was having regrets about earlier in the week. After three days of silence, she could take it no more. She wrote him a note that Thursday morning in English.
"So what’s up with not talking to me? I know it’s a little awkward because of what happened, but I want you to know I’m not sorry. If you don’t want it to happen again I’ll understand. But I don’t want to lose you as a friend. Please write me back. Just stick it in my locker if you don’t see me when you’re not with Lynn. It’s number 1347. Love ya, Marie."
She was thankful that Lynn didn’t walk with him out of class, but slightly ahead of him. She brushed up against him and slipped the note in the pocket of his khakis. Her smile was almost as shy as his when their eyes met.
The next class crept by as all she could think about was whether she would have a note from him. She smiled when she opened up her locker and a folded piece of notebook paper dropped to her feet. She picked it up and began reading:
"I’m sorry I haven’t been talking to you much these past couple of days. I guess I feel guilty. That and I’m worried if Lynn sees us talking she might think something’s up. But I guess the complete silence might give it away too, huh? As far as it happening again, I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want that, I just don't know if it's a good idea. Well, I’ll talk to you at practice this afternoon. Love, Alan."
Marie ran to the band room as fast as she could. Band was the last class of the day and if she got in there quickly she would have a couple of minutes before Lynn arrived and hogged her time with Alan. Renee was already in the room when she arrived, panting and out of breath. "Why are you running to get here, Ree? Got a hot date?" While initially taken aback, she realized there was no way Renee could know what had happened. She laughed and said, "No, but I need to talk to Alan about his girlfriend. Is he in here yet?"
Renee pointed to the instrument room. Marie jogged in, thanking the Lord no one else was in the band room yet. Alan had his back turned, fumbling with the two pieces of his tuba.
"So what did you want to talk about, Señor?"
He was startled, and nearly dropped the top of his instrument. She grabbed it just before it hit the floor. She smiled and looked up at him. Their eyes met directly for the first time since the night they kissed. They held the look for an instant, but heard Wade’s voice booming as he walked into the band room. They glanced at his trumpet on a shelf not three feet from them. Alan had enough time to smile and say, "We’ll talk at Eddie’s."
She smiled and said, "See you there." She went to walk out of the band room but she stopped and ran back to him. She hugged him and whispered, "I can still feel your lips on mine when I close my eyes." Then she jogged out of the room and walked with Renee to the bathroom to change into their shorts.
Alan was left speechless, which seemed to happen more often these days. He robotically finished putting his tuba together as Wade came in. Wade looked at Alan and laughed.
"She totally wants you, man."
All Alan could do was laugh. If only you knew, Wade. If only you knew…
She was floating. Never before had kissing left her so weightless. She could feel the tingle on her lips long after she arrived home. Her parents looked at her quizzically when she walked in the door. Her mother asked, "What took so long? William called and said Lindsay had been home for over an hour. And she lives thirty minutes away." Marie silently cursed William’s younger sister for being in band with her. Damn it Lindsay! I don’t need your help making your brother not trust me. She looked at her mom and replied coolly, "Oh, Lynn, Renee and I hung out for a little while after the assembly. We got talked into organizing the instrument room."
Her father chimed in then. "Well, get to bed. You know you have school tomorrow." Marie trudged down the hallway to her room. She called William as soon as she changed into her pajamas.
"Hi, sweetie."
"Hi, William. Sorry I missed you earlier. I had to stay late with Renee and help organize the instrument room."
William sighed. "Is that why Lindsay said she saw you talking to Alan after the assembly?"
Marie felt her brow narrow. "He had to stay, too. We needed at least one guy to lift the bigger instruments. What’s wrong with you?"
Even as she said it Marie knew what was wrong. Alan was a guy that she talked to other than William. He was always scared she was going to leave him for someone else, and his insecurities angered her to no end.
Listen to you, you hypocrite. He has every reason to wonder what you were doing tonight.
"I’ve just gotten a vibe since we’ve, you know, that you don’t want to be with me any more."
"Don’t be ridiculous, Will. Besides, he and Lynn are going out now. Look, can’t we talk about this tomorrow? I’m really sleepy. And I have to be at school at seven. You don’t have class until nine."
"Yeah," William said with a heavy sigh. "We’ll just talk about it tomorrow. I’m sorry."
"It’s okay. I love you."
"I love you too, Marie."
She hung up the phone and was angry for several moments. She really did care about William, but she found him to be far too emotional. Even little things like her not being home when he expected would throw him into a pity party. It wasn’t fun to be with him anymore. If she thought she could find someone else who cared about her as much as him she would quickly leave him.
I wish Alan wasn’t going out with Lynn!
The next few days at school were somewhat awkward. Alan was in several of her classes, but he didn’t speak to her. Marie found herself wondering if he was having regrets about earlier in the week. After three days of silence, she could take it no more. She wrote him a note that Thursday morning in English.
"So what’s up with not talking to me? I know it’s a little awkward because of what happened, but I want you to know I’m not sorry. If you don’t want it to happen again I’ll understand. But I don’t want to lose you as a friend. Please write me back. Just stick it in my locker if you don’t see me when you’re not with Lynn. It’s number 1347. Love ya, Marie."
She was thankful that Lynn didn’t walk with him out of class, but slightly ahead of him. She brushed up against him and slipped the note in the pocket of his khakis. Her smile was almost as shy as his when their eyes met.
The next class crept by as all she could think about was whether she would have a note from him. She smiled when she opened up her locker and a folded piece of notebook paper dropped to her feet. She picked it up and began reading:
"I’m sorry I haven’t been talking to you much these past couple of days. I guess I feel guilty. That and I’m worried if Lynn sees us talking she might think something’s up. But I guess the complete silence might give it away too, huh? As far as it happening again, I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want that, I just don't know if it's a good idea. Well, I’ll talk to you at practice this afternoon. Love, Alan."
Marie ran to the band room as fast as she could. Band was the last class of the day and if she got in there quickly she would have a couple of minutes before Lynn arrived and hogged her time with Alan. Renee was already in the room when she arrived, panting and out of breath. "Why are you running to get here, Ree? Got a hot date?" While initially taken aback, she realized there was no way Renee could know what had happened. She laughed and said, "No, but I need to talk to Alan about his girlfriend. Is he in here yet?"
Renee pointed to the instrument room. Marie jogged in, thanking the Lord no one else was in the band room yet. Alan had his back turned, fumbling with the two pieces of his tuba.
"So what did you want to talk about, Señor?"
He was startled, and nearly dropped the top of his instrument. She grabbed it just before it hit the floor. She smiled and looked up at him. Their eyes met directly for the first time since the night they kissed. They held the look for an instant, but heard Wade’s voice booming as he walked into the band room. They glanced at his trumpet on a shelf not three feet from them. Alan had enough time to smile and say, "We’ll talk at Eddie’s."
She smiled and said, "See you there." She went to walk out of the band room but she stopped and ran back to him. She hugged him and whispered, "I can still feel your lips on mine when I close my eyes." Then she jogged out of the room and walked with Renee to the bathroom to change into their shorts.
Alan was left speechless, which seemed to happen more often these days. He robotically finished putting his tuba together as Wade came in. Wade looked at Alan and laughed.
"She totally wants you, man."
All Alan could do was laugh. If only you knew, Wade. If only you knew…
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